Page 25 of Stranded for Christmas with my Boss

Austin barks out an unamused laugh. “Did stuff. Really? And she started like a week ago!”

I rub my temple, knowing that this conversation isn’t going to lead anywhere good. I may as well get the truth off my chest now. “It was her first day…after we got stuck on the elevator together.”

Austin reaches back and holds his hands on the back of his head as he shakes it in disbelief. “Why are you doing these stupid things, Jensen? This isn’t like you! You don’t take risks like this. Not with the company.”

He’s right. I don’t do anything to jeopardize all our hard work, and that’s what makes me feel the guiltiest about all that I’ve done with Alyssa. My company is full of dedicated hard workers, and the last thing that I want to do is screw them over because of mistakes that I’ve made.

It’s not right. Even if I didn’t catch any backlash for my actions, it would still be a hit to company morale if we got caught. Bosses aren’t supposed to get involved with their assistants.

“I’m sorry, okay? I know I shouldn’t have done it. She just…” I trail off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. I can’t even finish it for myself because Alyssa twists my mind in multiple different directions. I can’t figure out myself around her.

That’s a bad thing, right?

Austin frowns in confusion and approaches me, walking around my desk to step in front of me. “She what?”

“I don’t know. She just gets in my head,” I say. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of what she does to me.

“You mean the lust gets in your head?” Austin questions me. “I get you haven’t gotten out in the dating world for a while now, but you can’t be settling for what’s easily accessible.”

My teeth clench as I narrow my eyes at him. “That’s not why I slept with her. She’s not easily accessible.”

Austin puts his hands up in an innocent manner. “All right, fine. This has to stop, though. What if you piss her off and she files a complaint against you? What if she goes public?”

I decide not to tell him about her odd behavior earlier. That’ll just freak him out, and if I can fix that issue in private, I will.

“I get it. I’ll back off,” I tell him.

I knew I should abide by my promise, but the thought of pulling away from her leaves a hollow ache in my chest. The logical part of me screams to stop this madness, to protect everything I’ve worked so hard for. But the rest of me, the part that had tasted her and wanted more, is willing to risk it all, even if it means watching everything I’ve built crumble to ash. It’s always hard to give up what you want the most, even if it’s forbidden. Honestly, that makes it even more tempting.

Austin narrows his eyes in a suspicious manner. “This isn’t like you, man. You haven’t slept with anyone else at the company, right?”

I shoot him a pointed look. At this point, he’s offending me. Like I’m constantly doing things to screw up the company andruin all the hard work that we’ve put in over the years? “No, this is the first and last time.”

Austin sighs and drags a hand through his hair. “All right, I trust you. Take care of this before it spirals out of control.”

I silently nod, my eyes trailing him until he walks out of my office and leaves me alone with my thoughts. Dangerous move. My mind immediately darts back to Alyssa, wondering what’s going on and where she abruptly left to go to.

She left during work hours! It’s completely unlike her, which makes the situation even more worrying.

Fuck it. I’m calling her.

I grab my phone and dial her number after finding it in her employee profile, my knee bouncing as I listen to ring after ring until her voicemail pops up. I try again, only to get the same result.

She isn’t picking up the phone. Is it because she’s busy or because she’s actively ignoring me?

Footsteps outside of my office prompt my eyes to lift and catch sight of Maya just as she walks down the hallway. I pop out of my seat and hurry to my doorway. “Maya.”

Maya pauses and turns around, surprise lighting up her face. “Oh, Mr. Riley. Can I help you with something?”

I nod as she approaches me. “Alyssa took off not too long ago. Do you know where she went?”

Maya frowns and shakes her head. “She didn’t say anything to me about leaving work early. She didn’t say anything to you about having a doctor’s appointment or anything like that?”

I wrack my brain for any sort of memory of Alyssa telling me that she would have to take off in the middle of a workday, but nothing comes to mind. There was no reason for her to abruptly leave. No reason that I know of.

“I can’t think of anything. I’ll give her a call again and see,” I say before nodding my thanks to her.

Maya continues to frown. “I’ll keep an eye out for her. I’m sure she’ll come back.”

---